The disclosure relates to transport refrigeration. More particularly, the disclosure relates to air handling in transport refrigeration systems.
Transport refrigeration systems include cargo/shipping containers, trailers, and trucks. Each involves one or more refrigerated compartment in the container, truck box, or trailer box (collectively, “container”) and a refrigeration system positioned to cool a recirculating airflow within the compartment. Depending upon the implementation, refrigeration equipment may be mounted to an exterior of the container or within a subcompartment in the container.
Many truck and trailer configurations mount the equipment to the front of the container, often high on the front wall so that the outlet for discharging cooled air into the compartment is near the compartment ceiling.
The refrigeration equipment typically comprises a vapor compression system having: a compressor; a heat rejection heat exchanger (e.g., a condenser or gas cooler) downstream of the compressor along a cooling mode refrigerant flowpath; an expansion device downstream of the compressor along the cooling mode refrigerant flowpath; and a heat absorption heat exchanger (evaporator) downstream of the expansion device along the cooling mode refrigerant flowpath.
In some systems, the compressor is driven by an electric motor (either as the normal drive source or in standby operation). A generator system (e.g., having an internal combustion engine driving a generator) may be used to power the electric motor. Such systems may have the capability for plug-in operation powered by an external power source. External power may be used such as when a truck or trailer is parked.
Separately, kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) have been developed for vehicle powertrains. One select example is a flywheel system of Volvo Car Corporation.